Apparatus for simultaneously forming rows of cut pile stitching and rows of loop pile stitching



Feb. 6, 1962 J. L. CARD 3,019,748

APPARATUS FOR SIMULTANEOUSLY FORMING s OF CUT FILE STITCHING AND ROWS OFLOOP FILE HI Filed Sept. 19, 1957 Sh s-Sheet 1 INVENTOR:

Joseph Lewis Card,

ATTORNEY Feb. 6, 1962 3,019,748

J. L. CARD PPARATUS FOR SIMULTANEOUSLY FORM ROWS OF CUT PILE STITCHINGAND ROWS 0F LOOP E STITCHING 1957 heats-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 19,

NTOIL Joseph Lewis Card, BY

ATTORNEY 3 019,748 APPARATUS FOR SIP/ IULTANEUUSLY FfiRMlNG RQWS 6F CUTFILE STETCEWG AND ROWS ()F L? PHJE STZTCHEIG Joseph Lewis tCard,Chattanooga, Tenn, assignor to Singer-Cobble, Inc, Chattanooga, Team, acorporation of Delaware Filed Sept. 15%, 1957, Ser. No. 684,836 (Zlaims.(Cl. 112-79) This invention relates to a multiple needle tufting machineand more particularly to a tufting machine for simultaneously formingrows of cut pile stitching and rows of loop pile stitching.

Heretofore tufting machines have been designed for forming either fabricof loop pile or fabric of cut pile. Because the inherent characteristicsof a loop pile machine are entirely different, and in many instancesopposite, from the characteristics or a cut pile machine, attempts tocombine the characterisics of the two machines to form both loop pileand cut pile in a single machine have not been successful. In aconventional loop pile tufting machine, the loop pile hooks are pointedin the direction of fabric feed to permit the loops to feed off thehooks, whereas in a conventional cut pile tufting machine, the loophooks are pointed in a direction opposite to the fabric feed in order tohold the loops until they are cut by a cooperating cutting mechanism.Moreover, the timing of the reciprocating movements of a loop pile hookand the timing of a cut pile hook are just the opposite since a looppile hook must be moving backward to engage a loop formed by adescending needle at the same moment that a cut pile hook must be movingforward for the same purpose. Attempts have been made to design amachine that would form both cut pile and loop pile by having two setsof needles and two independently driven and independently timed sets ofhooks, one for out pile and one for loop pile, spaced to stagger therows of cut pile tufts between the rows of loop pile tufts, and viceversa. Such a combination has the same effect as providing a cut piletufting machine and a separate loop pile tufting machine through both ofwhich the base fabric fed progressively. Such attempts have provedhighly unsatisfactory.

It is therefore an object of this invention to overcome thedisadvantages enumerated by providing a tufting machine which will formrows of cut pile and rows of loop pile without employing dualmechanisms.

Another object of this invention is to provide a tufting machine forsimultaneously forming cut pile and loop pile in which the loop pilemechanism is of novel construction.

Another object of this invention is to provide a tufting machine forforming cut pile and loop pile in which the out pile hooks and loop pilehooks are mounted in a single hook bar.

A further object of this invention is to provide a tufting machine forforming cut pile and loop pile in which the cut pile hooks and loop pilehooks are pointed in the same direction, opposite to the direction offabric feed.

Another object of this invention is to provide a tufting machine forforming cut pile and loop pile in which the cut pile mechanism and looppile mechanism have the same timing and reciprocate in unison.

Another object of this invention is to provide a multiple needle tuftingmachine for simultaneously forming rows of cut pile stitching and rowsof loop pile stitching with selected needles and havin yarn feed controlmeans for forming loop pile of various heights according to apredetermined pattern.

A further object of this invention is to provide a multiple needletufting machine to simultaneously form rows ice of cut pile and rows ofloop pile for selected needles and having yarn feed control means forselectively forming loop pile higher than the cut pile and loop pilelower than the cut pile.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent fromthe following description taken in conjunction with the drawings,wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a section taken along the lines 22 of FIG. 1 disclosing thecut pile hook and the loop pile hook in their forward operationalpositions;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 in which the cut pile hook and theloop pile hook are in their withdrawn operational positions;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of one type of loop stripping fingerassociated with a loop hook;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a modified form of loop stripping fingerassociated with a loop hook;

FIG. 6 discloses a modified form of loop hook; and

FIG. 7 is an enlarged view showing the operation of the loop pile hookand loop stripping finger in FIG. 3.

Referring now to the drawings in more detail. FIG. 1 discloses theoperating parts of the invention, with parts broken away, as they wouldappear in a conventional multiple needle cut pile tufting machine. Aneedle carrier it? adapted to be vertically reciprocated by means, notshown, support a plurality of needles, preferably arranged in a frontrow of cut pile needles: 11 and a back row of loop pile needles 12. Asdisclosed in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, the cut pile needles 11 are staggeredwith respect to the loop pile needles 12 in order to form alternatingrows of cut pile and loop pile stitching. it is to be understood thatthe number of cut pile needles 11 does not have to equal the number ofloop pile needles 12, nor do the needles have to be alternatelystaggered, but the spacing and relation of the cut pile needles ll tothe loop pile needles 1?; may be selective to produce the desiredcorresponding relationship of the rows of cut pile stitching to the rowsof loop pile stitching in the base or backing fabric 13. It is alsoconceivable that the cut pile needles ll and loop pile needles 12 may beemployed in a single row alternating with each other or in any otherdesired arrangement. The needles are disposed in a pair of rows in orderto permit a more narrow needle gauge.

FEGS. l, 2 and 3 also disclose the loop pile needles 12 set lower thanthe cut pile needles Ill. in order to normally form loop pile of greaterheight in the base fabric 13 than the cut pile. it is also to beunderstood that the needles l1 and 12 may be set at equal elevations inorder to form cut pile and loop pile of equal height.

A throat plate M of conventional construction and fixed to the machine,not shown, is provided with fingers 15 which extend between the needlesIll and 12 to support the base fabric 13 as it is fed through themachine.

Mounted below the throat plate 14 is a hook shaft 16 and a knife shaft37 of similar construction to those employed in a conventional cut piletufting machine, both of the shafts being adapted for limited rotaryreciprocatory motion in a. manner Well known to the art. Fixedly mountedto the hook shaft to is a hook bar 18 provided with equally spacedvertical slots 19. in a preferred form of the invention as disclosed inFIGS. 1, 2 and 3, a conventional cut pile hook 2t) and a loop pile hook2 1 of novel construction are both inserted in each hook bar slot 19. Inthe preferred arrangement, the spacing of the hook slots 1'9 areapproximately equal to either the gauge of the needles ll or the gaugeof needles and twice the gauge between the needle 11 and the needle 12.

As best disclosed in FIGS. 4 and 5, the loop pile hook 21 comprises asubstantially vertical plate-like shank 22 having a throat portion 23bent at substantially right sniaras angles to the shank along the joint24. The bill 25 of the hook is preferably integral with and extendsbeyond the end of the throat portion 23 and is bent down at its point26. The point 26 may be either arcuate (FIGS. 4 and 5) or at an angle(FIG. 6) with respect to the remaining portion of the bill 25, so longas the point 26 is bent sul'liciently to retain a loop of yarn 27 formedthereon by a needle 12;, and so long as the bent point 26 is not sopronounced as to prevent the loop 27 from being removed by the loopstripping mechanism 28.

The loop stripping mechanism 28, disclosed in P168. 1, 2, 3, 4- and 7,comprises a loop stripping plate 29 fixed to a portion of the machine,not shown, and adapted to support a loop stripping linger 3!} for eachloop hook 21. The loop stripping plate 29 is fixed in such a positionthat each loop stripping finger 3% is adapted to engage a loop 27 formedon a loop pile hook 21 as the loop pile hook is rocked backward by thehook shaft 16 from its forward position disclosed in FIG. 2 to itswithdrawn position disclosed in FIG. 3, to thereby remove the loop 27from the hook 211. As disclosed in H68. 1, 2 and 3, the loop strippingfinger 35 comprises a strip of metal, such as spring steel, engaging andbiased against the bottom of the throat portion 23 or bill 25 at alltimes. Thus, as the loop pile hook 2i is rocked backward to its extremewithdrawn position disclosed in PEG. 3, a stationary loop strippinglinger 36 engages and slides along the bottom of the bill 25 to stripthe loop 27 from the point 26.

A modified loop stripping finger 3ll, disclosed in FIG. 5, is soconstructed that the loop hook 21 is adapted to rock backward beneaththe finger 31 as the finger engages and strips the loop 27 from thepoint 26. The finger 31 comprises a substantially flat elongated platehaving a down-turned side flange 32, which is adapted to slide againstor in close proximity to the side of the bill 25 as the hook 21 isrocked backward. The finger 31 may or may not engage any portion of theloop hook 21 at any time, so long as the finger engages and completelystrips the loop 27 from the hook 21. Once the loop 27 is stripped fromthe hook 2d, the loop will be carried by the fabric 13 over the top ofthe loop stripping finger or 3' and the loop stripping plate 29.

he knife shaft 17 supports a knife block 33 which carries a knife 34adapted to associate with each cut pile hook 2b to cut loops formedthereon and create cut pile in a manner Well known to the art.

Both the cut pile hooks 2% and the loop pile hooks 21 may be verticallyadjustable relative to each other Within each hook slot 19. The looppile hooks 21, as disclosed in the drawings, are set lower than the cutpile hooks 20 by an amount corresponding to the dilference in heights ofthe needles 11 and 2, and the points 26 of the loop pile books 21 arestaggered with respect to the cut pile hook points in the same relationas the needles 12- are staggered with respect to the needles 11.However, it is to be understood that the difference in height betweenthe cut pile hooks 2a and the loop pile hooks 21 does not nece sarilyhave to be equal to the dilference in the height between the needles l1and the needles 12, so long as each loop pile hook 21 is in a positionto form a loop 27 with its corresponding needle 12.

It is also to be understood that each cut pile hook 20 and each looppile hook 21 may be inserted in separate individual slots 19, and forthis purpose, the shank 22', the bill 25 and point 26 of a modified formof loop pile hook. 221 may be formed in the same unbent vertical planeas substantially disclosed in PEG. 6. Fig. 6 also shows a modified formof the point 26' being bent down at an angle to the bill 25 rather thanhaving an arcuate shape.

The means for reciprocating the needle carrier 10, the fabric feedmechanism, and the means for driving the hook shaft 16 and knife shaft17 have not been disclosed, as they are of conventional construction fora multiple needle cut pile tufting machine, and are synchronously drivenso that the cut pile hooks 2t and the loop pile hooks 21 or 21 arerocked forward when the needles 11 and 12 are in their lowermostposition to form loops thereby, and so that all the loop pile hooks andcut pile hooks are rocked backwards to their withdrawn positions whenthe needles 11 and 12 are in their elevated positions while the knifeshaft 17 rocks the knife 34 upward to simultaneously cut the loopsformed by the cut pile hooks it? to form cut pile thereby. As themachine is operating, the fabric 13 is continuously fed across thethroat plate 14- from the front to the rear of the machine as indicatedby the arrows in FIGS. 2 and 3.

It is also contemplated that a pattern control means, such as thatdisclosed in the co-pending applications, Serial Number 327,807, nowabandoned, and 630,343, now Patent No. 2,935,037, granted May 3, 1960,of Joseph L. Card may be associated with this invention in order to formhigh low loops in the loop pile stitching to form predetermined designsin the completed tufted fabric. By setting the needles 1]. and 12 andthe cut pile hooks 26 and the loop pile hooks ill substantially at theelevations disclosed in FIGS. 2 and 3, and employing the pattern controlmeans disclosed in the above applications, cut pile may be formed at asubstantially uniform height, while loop pile both higher and lower thanthe cut pile may be simultaneously formed according to a predeterminedpattern. Moreover, if the cut pile stitching alternates with the looppile stitching, the high loops would overlay adjacent cut pile tufts,while the cut pile tufts would overlay adjacent low loops, to formcontrasting designs of cut pile and loop pile in a single fabric.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that varions changes maybe made in the invention, without departing from the spirit and scopethereof, and therefore the invention is not limited by that which isshown in the drawings and described in the specification, but only asindicated in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a tufting machine, a pair of spaced needles for inserting pileyarns into a base fabric, means for recipro eating said needles, meansfor supporting said base fabric beneath said needles, a hook bar mountedfor reciprocation beneath said needles, a single slot in said hook barbeneath said needles, a cut pile hook adapted to cooperate with one ofsaid needles and a loop pile hook adapted to cooperate with the other ofsaid needles, each hook having a shank and a bill, the shanks of bothhooks being received in said single slot with said bills pointing in thesame direction, knife means cooperating with one side of said cut pilehook for cutting loops formed thereon, the bill of said loop pile hookbeing laterally spaced from the other side of said out pile hook thesame distance as said needles, means for reciprocating said hook bar toalternately move said bills across their respective needles, in theneedles lowermost position, to form loops in said pile yarns and to movesaid bills away from their corresponding needles, and loop strippingmeans cooperating with said loop pile hook for engaging a loop formedthereon and removing said loop from the free end of said hook bill assaid bill reciprocates away from its corresponding needle.

2. The invention according to claim 1 in which the shank and the bill ofsaid cut pile hook are coplanar and the bill of said loop pile hook isoffset from its shank in the direction away from the cut pile hook.

3. In a tufting machine, a pair of spaced needles for inserting pileyarns into a base fabric, means for reciproeating said needles, meansfor supporting said base fabric beneath said needles, a hook bar mountedfor reciprocation beneath said needles, a single slot formed in saidhook bar beneath said needles, a looper mechanism comprising shank meansand a cut pile bill and a loop pile bill mounted in spaced relation onsaid shank means, said bills pointing in the same direction, said outpile bill being adapted to cooperate With one of said needles and saidloop pile bill being adapted to cooperate with the other of saidneedles, said shank means being received in said slot for reciprocationwith said hook oar, knife means cooperating with one side of said cutpile bill for cutting loops formed thereon, said loop pile bill beinglaterally spaced from the other side of said cut pile bill the samedistance as said needles, means for reciprocating said hook bar toalternately move said bills across their corresponding needles, in theneedles lowermost position, to form loops in the pile yarns carried bysaid needles and to Withdraw said bills from said needles, and loopstripping means eooperating with said loop pile bill for engaging a loopformed thereon and removing said loop from the free end of said looppile bill as said bill Withdraws from its corresponding needle.

4-. The invention according to claim 3 in which one of said needlesoccupies an elevated position and the other of said needles occupies alower position, and one of said bills is elevated with respect to theother of said bills substantially the same distance as the difierence inelevation of said needles.

5. The invention according to claim 3 in which said needles are offsetfrom each other in the direction of the reciprocation of said hook barand the free ends of said bills are offset from each other bysubstantially the same amount and in the same direction as the offsetspacing between said needles.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,855,175 Braudes Apr. 26, 1932 1,907,292 Gladish May 2, 1933 2,410,764Uihlein Nov. 5, 1946 2,411,267 Harnricl; Nov. 19, 1946 2,482,683 MooreSept. 20, 1949 2,675,771 Peters Apr. 20, 1954 2,768,593 Lombard Oct. 30,1956 2,782,741 Smith Feb. 26, 1957 2,811,244 MacCaiTray Oct. 29, 19572,827,866 Penman Mar. 25, 1958 2,836,134- Harrison May 27, 19582,842,080 Hoeselbarth July 8, 1958 2,878,763 Jackson Mar. 24, 19592,879,728 McCutchen Mar. 31, 1959 2,879,729 McCutchen Mar. 31, 1959FOREIGN PATENTS 635,817 Great Britain Apr. 19, 1950

